Weather guard for fan on air conditioner/heat pump condenser unit

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for protectively shielding the fan opening on the top of an outdoor air conditioner/heat pump condenser unit includes a dome-shaped cover that is sized to completely cover the fan opening. An arrangement of vertical guide posts positioned about the fan opening on the top of the condenser unit guides movement of the cover through a rising and lowering movement. When the condenser fan motor is not operating, the cover is seated against the top surface of the condenser unit to prevent entry of rain, sprinkler water, leaves, dirt and other debris into the condenser unit housing. Upon operation of the condenser fan motor, the cover rises vertically, on the guide posts, to allow escape of forced airflow in a radially outward flow between the cover and the top of the condenser unit, while still shielding the fan opening from falling rain and leaves.

This non-provisional patent application is based on provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/217,486 filed on Sep. 11, 2015.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a device for protectively shielding the condenser fan opening on the top of a condenser unit in an air conditioning or heat pump system to prevent unwanted entry of water, leaves, dirt and other debris into the condenser unit housing.

Discussion of the Related Art

Air conditioning and heat pump systems typically have a condenser unit that is placed outdoors, either on a slab next to a residential dwelling or on the rooftop of a commercial building. The condenser unit contains a compressor, coils that surround the compressor and a fan and fan motor assembly above the compressor. These components are contained within a housing that typically has a bottom or floor, four sides and a top. The top of the condenser unit housing has an opening that is usually larger than the condenser fan blade diameter to allow for escape of forced airflow from operation of the fan motor. A rigid wire mesh guard is typically fastened to the top of the condenser unit to prevent large objects from entering the exhaust fan opening and damaging the fan blades and motor. The rigid wire mesh guard also prevents bodily injury that may result from accidental contact with the fan blade during operation of the condenser fan motor.

While it is necessary to allow escape of forced airflow from the fan during operation of the condenser fan motor, the open top design of the condenser unit allows for unwanted entry of rain, sprinkler water, leaves, dirt and other debris, particularly during periods when the condenser fan motor is not in operation. The bottom of the condenser unit is typically designed to allow for draining of water that enters through the top fan opening. However, the escape of water is eventually obstructed as a result of accumulating debris within the condenser unit housing. Specifically, leaves, dirt and other debris that accumulate within the condenser unit trap water that eventually leads to rusting and deterioration of the bottom floor of the condenser unit housing. Moreover, unwanted entry of rain and sprinkler water within the condenser unit causes rust and corrosion of the compressor, fan motor, fan blades, coils and electrical connections. The rust and deterioration of the components within the condenser unit, as a result of unwanted exposure to water, dirt and other debris reduces the overall life of the condenser unit.

In view of the problems associated with unwanted entry of rain, sprinkler water, leaves, dirt and other debris into the condenser housing of an air conditioning and heat pump system, there remains a need for a device that protectively shields the condenser fan opening on the top of the condenser unit housing. Moreover, there is a need for a shielding device that can be easily installed on the top of an existing condenser unit of an air conditioning and/or heat pump system, and wherein the shielding device is normally seated on top of the unit to seal the fan opening closed so that rain, sprinkler water, leaves and other debris cannot enter through the condenser fan motor opening, and further wherein the shielding device is able to rise upwardly as a result of the forced airflow during operation of the condenser fan motor, thereby allowing the forced airflow to escape, while still preventing unwanted entry of water, leaves and other debris into the condenser unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a device for protectively shielding the fan opening on the top of an outdoor air conditioner/heat pump condenser unit includes a dome-shaped cover that is sized to completely cover the fan opening. A bottom annular rim of the cover has a gasket that seals against the top surface of the condenser unit when the cover is lowered. An arrangement of vertical guide posts positioned about the fan opening on the top of the condenser unit guides movement of the cover through a rising and lowering movement. Specifically, the vertical guide posts each extend through an opening formed through a tab/ear extending from a respective one of several L-shaped outside brackets on the cover, wherein each L-shaped bracket is positioned for corresponding alignment with one of the vertical guide posts. When the condenser fan motor is not operating, the cover is normally lowered with the gasket seated against the top surface of the condenser unit to prevent entry of rain, sprinkler water, leaves, dirt and other debris into the condenser unit housing. Upon operation of the condenser fan motor, the cover rises vertically, on the guide posts, to allow escape of forced airflow in a radially outward flow between the cover and the top of the condenser unit. While hovering above the top of the condenser unit during operation of the fan motor, the cover still shields the fan opening from falling rain and leaves, while the outward centrifugal force of the airflow prevents driving rain, sprinkler water and other debris from entering under the cover and into the condenser unit housing.

Stop members are fitted on each of the guide posts to limit upward movement of the cover. In a preferred embodiment, the stop members are key-type band clamps that are adjustably positionable on the guide posts by operation of wing knobs that loosen and tighten the band clamps around the guide posts. A second stop member can be added to each guide post and positioned below the tabs extending from the cover, to thereby limit downward movement of the cover on the guide posts. This allows the cover to be held in a raised position even when the condenser fan motor is not operating. The openings in the tabs/ears extending from outside L-shaped brackets on the cover may be fitted with nylon bushings to promote smooth movement of the cover on the guide posts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the weather guard device of the present invention installed on the top of a condenser unit of an air conditioning and/or heat pump system, and wherein a dome-shaped cover of the device is raised above the fan opening on the top of the condenser unit, and hovering above as a result of the forced airflow from the condenser fan, while the rising and lowering movement of the dome-shaped cover is guided by four guide posts extending vertically from the top of the condenser unit;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the dome-shaped cover of the weather guard device completely lowered over the fan opening on the top of the condenser unit when the condenser fan motor in the condenser unit is not operating;

FIG. 3 is an isolated top perspective view showing the mounting of one of the guide posts to the top of the condenser unit and passing through an opening through an ear or tab of an outside L-shaped bracket extending outwardly from the dome-shaped cover to thereby allow guided vertical rising and lowering movement of the cover on each guide post, and further wherein each guide post includes a stop member that is adjustably positionable along the guide post to limit upward movement of the dome-shaped cover during operation of the fan motor in the condenser unit so the cover does not become dislodged or separated from the guide posts; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view showing a gasket fitted to a bottom annular rim of the dome-shaped cover for sealing engagement with a top surface of the condenser unit and further illustrating inside support brackets on the inside of the cover.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the several views of the drawings, and initially FIGS. 1 and 2, the weather guard device of the present invention is shown and is generally indicated as 10. The weather guard device 10 is specifically structured for protectively shielding a fan opening 120 on the top 110 of an outdoor HVAC condenser unit 100 (see FIG. 1). The fan opening 120 on the top of the condenser unit housing is typically covered with a wire screen or grating to prevent contact with the rotating fan blade and potential bodily injury.

The weather guard apparatus 10 includes an arrangement of vertical guide posts 20 that are fitted to the top 110 of the condenser unit 100, as seen in FIGS. 1-3. Specifically, a bottom end of each guide post 20 is threaded (not shown) for screw threaded attachment within a threaded hole in a mounting plate 30. Each mounting plate 30 corresponding to one of the several vertical guide posts 20 is fastened to the top 110 of the condenser unit 100 with the use of conventional fasteners, such as self-tapping screws. A top end of each of the vertical guide posts 20 is fitted with a protective rubber or nylon cap 22 for preventing injury.

The weather guard apparatus further includes a dome-shaped cover 40 that is specifically sized and configured to completely cover the fan opening 120 on the top 110 of the condenser unit 100 for the purpose of preventing entry of rain, sprinkler water, leaves, dirt and other debris through the top fan opening and into the condenser unit housing. The cover 40 includes a top 42 and a downwardly extending annular side wall 44 that terminates at a bottom annular rim 46 (see FIG. 4). The bottom annular rim 46 is fitted with a rubber gasket 48 that seals against the top surface 110 of the condenser unit 100 when the cover 40 is lowered down over the fan opening 120. The cover 40 is supported on the arrangement of vertical guide posts 20 which allow the cover to move vertically up and down in a controlled movement in response to an external force, such as that exerted by the force of the fan exhaust during operation of the condenser unit. Specifically, the cover 40 includes a spaced arrangement of outside L-shaped brackets 50 that are arranged for corresponding alignment with the vertical guide posts. More specifically, during installation of the weather guard device 10 on the condenser unit 100, the mounting plates 30 are fastened to the top 110 of the condenser unit 100 at locations that align with a corresponding one of the several outside L-shaped brackets 50. Each outside L-shaped bracket 50 has a correspondingly aligned mounting plate 30 that supports a vertical guide post 20 associated with that specific L-shaped bracket. Each outside L-shaped bracket 50 includes an outwardly extending tab or ear 52 that is seated on top of the mounting plate 30 when the cover 40 is in the fully lowered position. Each tab or ear 52 includes two separate holes 54 and 56. The holes (54 or 56) are intended to allow for passage of the correspondingly aligned vertical guide posts 20 therethrough. The particular one of the holes 54 or 56 used for passage of the vertical guide posts 20 therethrough depends on the size of the fan opening, and particularly the diameter of the fan opening on the top of the condenser unit. Accordingly, the use of two different holes 54 and 56 allows for universal installation of the weather guard device 10 on different condenser units of different size and manufacturer. Each of the holes 54 and 56 on each tab 52 of the outside L-shaped brackets 50 is fitted with a nylon snap-in bushing 58 (see FIG. 3) that allows for reduced friction between the bushing and the surface of the guide post 20 and smooth movement of the cover 40 while rising and lowering on the guide posts 20.

To support the attachment of the outside L-shaped brackets 50 to the side wall 44 of the cover 40, the cover is provided with inside support brackets 60, as seen in FIG. 4. The inside brackets 60 align with the outside L-shaped brackets and reinforce the attachment of the L-shaped brackets to the outside of the annular wall. Specifically, the outside L-shaped brackets are screwed or bolted through the annular wall 44 of the cover 40 and to the correspondingly aligned inside support brackets 60. To further reinforce the outside L-shaped brackets, and to discourage bending of the tabs 52, an outside support bracket is fitted to each outside L-shaped bracket 50. Specifically, the outside support bracket 70 for each L-shaped bracket 50 is fastened to both the L-shaped bracket 50 and through the top 42 of the cover and to the inside support bracket 60.

As seen in FIGS. 1-3, each of the guide posts 20 are fitted with at least one stop member 80 that is adjustably positionable along the length of the guide posts 20 to limit movement of the cover 40. More particularly, each stop member 80 is adjustably positionable at a desired height on the guide post 20 to limit upward movement of the cover which is achieved by the tab 52 rising up the guide post 20 until it hits the stop member 80, thereby preventing further upward movement of the cover 40 on the guide posts. This helps to not only limit the height of movement of the cover 40 but also helps to prevent the cover from rising too high and becoming dislodged or separated from the guide posts 20. A second stop member 80 can be added to each guide post 20 below the tab 52 on each outside L-shaped bracket 50 to limit downward movement of the cover 40 on the guide posts 20. In this instance, one stop member 80 is positioned above the tab 52 of each outside L-shaped bracket and a second stop member 80 is positioned below the tab 52 so that the cover 40 is held at a desired adjusted height position on the guide posts. More specifically, this allows the cover 40 to be held in a raised position even when the condenser fan motor is not operating. The stop members 80 can further be used to secure the cover 40 in the fully lowered position by preventing any upward movement of the cover 40 on the guide posts when the condenser unit 100 is disabled or turned off (e.g., during winter months or when the house or building is not occupied for a long period of time). However, locking the cover 40 in the completely lowered position to cover the fan opening 120 is not recommended, as it could result in accidental overheating of the fan motor in the event the operator forgets to adjust the stop members prior to resuming operation of the condenser unit 100.

In a preferred embodiment, the stop members 80 are of a key-type band clamp and include a wing knob 82 that is turned in one direction to tighten a band 84 around the guide post 20 and in the opposite direction to loosen the band 84 on the guide post 20. To lock the stop member 80 in the affixed, adjusted position, the wing knob is first loosened and the stop member is moved by sliding the band 84 up or down on the post until it is at the desired position, at which point the wing knob 82 is turned to tighten the band 84 around the guide post 20 until it is tight and the stop member 80 is unable to move relative to the guide post 20.

While the present invention has been shown in accordance with the preferred and practical embodiment, it is recognized that departures from the instant disclosure are fully contemplated within the spirit and scope of the present invention which is not to be limited except as defined in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for protectively shielding a fan opening on a top of an outdoor HVAC condenser unit, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of vertically oriented guide posts secured to the top of the condenser unit at spaced intervals around the fan opening; a cover including a top and an annular side wall extending downwardly from the top to a bottom annular rim, and the cover being sized and configured to allow the bottom annular rim to rest in seated engagement on the top of the condenser unit in a fully lowered position with the cover completely covering the fan opening so that the fan opening is concealed under the cover; and a plurality of tabs extending outwardly from the annular side wall of the cover, adjacent to the bottom annular rim, and the plurality of tabs being positioned to align with the plurality of guide posts so that each one of the plurality of tabs is aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of guide posts, and each of the plurality of tabs including at least one hole for passage of the corresponding aligned guide post therethrough, to thereby allow the cover to move vertically up and down on the guide posts and relative to the fan opening between the fully lowered position and a raised position with the bottom annular rim spaced above the top of the condenser unit.
 2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the cover is caused to be moved from the fully lowered position to the raised position by a force of fan exhaust airflow exiting the fan opening.
 3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 further including at least one stop member on each one of the plurality of guide posts for limiting upward rising movement of the cover.
 4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein the at least one stop member on each one of the plurality of guide posts is adjustably positionable on the guide post throughout a range of adjusted fixed positions.
 5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein each one of the plurality of guide posts includes two of the stop members thereon, including a first one of the stop members positioned above the corresponding aligned tab of the cover and a second one of the stop members positioned below the corresponding aligned tab of the cover to limit up and down movement of the cover on the plurality of guide posts.
 6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein the at least one hole through each of the plurality of tabs of the cover includes a bushing for promoting smooth uninterrupted upward and downward movement of the cover on the plurality of guide posts.
 7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the bottom annular rim of the cover includes a gasket thereon for sealed engagement with the top of the condenser unit when the cover is in the fully lowered position. 